10 hours ago
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Indonesia's parliament has passed revisions to the country's military law that critics say will expand the armed forces' role in civilian life.
The new legislation allows military members to hold positions in 14 different branches of government, including disaster mitigation and the attorney general's office.
Under the previous version of the law, military personnel could serve in only 10 different government agencies. To hold civilian posts in other government institutions, officers were required to resign or retire from military service.
The law was championed by Indonesia's president, former military general Prabowo Subianto, who served under late dictator Suharto.
Under Suharto's leadership, Indonesian troops killed over one million people from 1965 to 1966. His 'New Order' regime also facilitated the genocide in East Timor.
What did the government say about the law?
"The geopolitical changes and global military technology require the military to transform … to face conventional and non-conventional conflicts," said Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin while defending the law's revisions.
"We will never disappoint the Indonesians in keeping our sovereignty," he added.
The government said the new version of the law will require officers to resign from the military before assuming civilian posts at certain departments, such as the Attorney's General Office.
What are rights groups worried about?
Many believe the enhanced presence of the military in everyday life will take Indonesia back to the repressive Suharto era.
Civil society organizations fear increased military involvement could lead to abuses of power, human rights violations, and lack of accountability.
Students and other concerned groups protested outside parliament during the bill's passage. The military was called to assist in removing the protesters after police were unable to do so.
Edited by: Natalie Muller
